love - 4th week of Advent

20 - 12/16 /11:20

The raunchy movie Love Actually makes a culturally radical claim: Love has almost nothing to do with sex. If you want to witness love, the voice-over announces, hang out in the Arrivals Area of any major airport anywhere in the world.

In the first century the apostle Paul wrote, “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swollen head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t alway angling to be first. Love doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the failings of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel. Instead, love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God with everything. Love always looks for the best and never looks back, but keeps going to the end—even when that end tastes bitter.”

Love never dies, never will.

Jesus said, “This is how much God loves the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. Why? So that no one need be destroyed. By believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and everlasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help. He came to put the world right again.”

Advent proclaims God is with us. Advent challenges you to live in love. To live in the hope and peace, and with the sure joy that the rightful King will return and heal this broken, decaying world. He will make creation whole again. He offers to make you a child of God right now … today. ~